"Daily our grandparents are moving out of our lives, taking with them, irreparably, the kind of information contained in this book. They are taking it, not because they want to , but because they think we don't care. And it isn't happening just in Appalachia. I think, for example, of numerous Indian reservations, Black cultures near the southern coasts, Ozark Mountain communities, and hundreds of others.
The big problem, of course, is that since these grandparents were primarily an oral civilization, information being passed through the generations by word of mouth and demonstration, little of it is written down. When they are gone, the intricate tricks of self sufficiency acquired through years of trial and error, the eloquent and haunting stories of suffering; sharing; building; healing; planting; and harvesting; - all these will go with them.
They have something to tell us about self reliance, human interdependence and the human spirit that we would do well to listen to."
Excerpt from the The Foxfire Book
2 comments:
OOOH. That is so weird. My mom just gave me the copy of this that we had around the house when I was growing up. What comes around...
Hi Carolyn - I just love those Foxfire books, some of my favorite. My parents taught and told me a lot from their days of living through the great depression, not to mention many of the things I recall from my grandparents. I agree with what you've quoted here, so I've tried to pass on what stories and knowledge I have of my ancestors and the old ways to some of the younger generation. It's something I believe to be well worth the little effort required. I notice that more and more of the younger ones are seeking this information and a connection to their past.
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